Memory of late Liverpool forward Diogo Jota will give Portugal strength at FIFA World Cup 2026, says Ruben Neves
Updated 01/06/2026 at 22:11 GMT+1
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Portugal star Ruben Neves says the team will draw strength from the memory of late Liverpool forward Diogo Jota at this summer's World Cup which takes place in America, Canada and Mexico.
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Jota died in a car accident in Spain last year and this will be the first international tournament Portugal competes in without him.
Neves said: "We've talked about it a lot and we always say the same thing. Sometimes you need to hold on to something to give you that extra bit of strength.
"That will be one of the things that can give us that extra strength at certain moments and help us get where we want to go."
Al Hilal midfielder Neves scored the decisive penalty in a shoot-out against Spain last summer - with Jota also in the team - as Portugal claimed the Nations League title.
They have enjoyed plenty of success in recent times, including a memorable Euro 2016 triumph in France a decade ago.
But for all their proud footballing history, Portugal have never won the World Cup. Their goal will be to put that right over the coming weeks.
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Diogo Jota.
Image credit: Getty Images
"Our aim is to reach the final, win and return with the World Cup in our hands," Neves said.
"It's hard to pick a personal goal because we're focused on what we can achieve as a team.
"All the players in the national team are more than used to this kind of pressure.
"We recently had four players win the Champions League [with Paris Saint-Germain] for the second time. We are a young but experienced squad.
"We take this in our stride because we know we have the quality and that we can achieve great things for Portugal."
Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo is set to feature in his sixth World Cup. And head coach Roberto Martinez has paid tribute to the player's mentality.
”I have worked with many players that have won a Champions League or a Ballon d’Or and the next day they lose their appetite," Martinez said.
"What we have with Ronaldo is an example of a different mentality.
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”I believe that having that goal is what allows for longevity. Of course, there is a genetic aspect, the work he puts in. He uses everything that can help his body, and his mentality.”
Portugal begin their World Cup campaign against DR Congo in Houston on June 17, before taking on Uzbekistan in Houston on June 23 and Colombia in Miami on June 27.
Before those matches, Portugal will play two warm-up games, against Chile on Saturday and then against Nigeria next week.
The World Cup begins on June 11, with Mexico taking on South Africa.
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